Becky F.
My Story
Aug 31, 2007
I am waiting for my surgery date (10/10/02). I am very anxious to finally lose weight for good. I work with several people who have had the surgery and are feeling and looking great. They have been so helpful with every little and big question I may have. I am truly gratetful. I am getting ready for several life changing experiences. My wedding date is 12/28/02 (a little concerned about how I will be feeling by then) and my daughter and I will be moving 150 miles away from our family (this is good and bad, we all know how family can be =0) LOL). I am marrying the most compassionate and supportive man I have ever met. I feel truly blessed!!!!
6-10-04
Wow, I have got to be the worst on this site about updating my profile. It has been almost 2 years since my first entry. Scary enough that just sounded like a confession. I was not real open with my progress because I feel like I have not made such a huge weight loss (72lbs). I have recently done some soul searching and am ready to get down to business. That means being accountable for myself. No better way than to keep up on my profile. I have always been a big girl. My all time high was 280 & I am 5'6. I have been a yo yo dieter my whole life. When I made the decision to have the surgery I had just lost about 40lbs and was starting to gain again. My pre op weight was 238. The day I left the hospital I actually weighed 242. I was freaking out. It has been an interesing year and 7 months. I am stuck at 170. I am close to goal(150) but having a real hard time with the last 20 lbs. Got to go for now but promise to get another entry in real soon.
6-14-04
See I am getting better, only 4 days since I updated my profile. This website has been a saving grace. I check the latest posted questions every day. I even posted one. I am researching my options for a thigh lift. Although the responses were terrific I still have not been able to view a medical lift on the internet. I am wondering how big the scar is? I think this is going to be the kind of incision I will need. I have extra skin at my knee as well as my upper thigh. I have been following my DR.'s orders and working out at least 3 x a week and walking 1 mile per day on my mid morning break. The weight training has been so good(non stop for 2 months), the only dilemma is I seem to be gaining muscle weight. My jeans are getting loose in the butt and waist but not in the thigh aera. GREAT!!! I was told the more muscle the better to help with healing after the PS-- also I was told to loose 20 lbs. NICE, what a doubble edge sward. I know I need to do more cardio so this is my goal. I have found some wonderful tips from a WLS sister called "Rules of the Pouch" and have been applying them to my daily routine. Among them was the good old standard, NO drinking 15 min. B4 eating or with the meal, also waiting 1 1/2 to 2 hours after to start drinking again. DUH!!!!! But I have never really done this. It has helped significantly. We will see what happens. Bye for now!
6-16-04
I just spoke to one of my bestest friends in the whole world and also my inspiration for having WLS. I am trying to get her to update her profile so you all can see how awsome she has done. Kelli if you decided to log on and are reading this I want you to know I love you and you saved my life!!!
7-6-04
I have been struggling with emotional eating again. I have gained 3 pounds (I guess it is muscle because my clothes are still fitting loose) I seem to lose all control with my eating at night and on the weekends. I have introduced protien bars and drinks into my diet and I am hoping this will help. The next time I update I will have good news.....I promise!
8-23-04
My best friend Kelli had a freakish thing happen to her and she almost died. It all started 8/15, she went to the hospital by ambulance, she was in so much pain she was going into shock. (She had WLS 3 years ago with no complications what so ever. Now out of the blue she was having incredible pain in her stomach.) They did some test, found nothing and sent her home. The next day she was back in the ER & they finally admitted her for observation. Wed. morning they did emergency surgery because her blood pressure dropped. The surgeon found her stomach had herniated and blocked off her intestine and it caused her stomach to blow out. Her abdomen was full of toxins. I stayed in ICU with her and her husband for 5 days. We almost lost her to infection. She was strong enough to get her own room after the 6th day in ICU. She came home on the 20th. I went to be with her Saturday (I live 2 hours away)……she is doing so much better.
9-7-04
Well I am still not loosing anymore weight. This is really starting to BLOW! I guess there is an up side though; I have been getting a lot of positive feedback from friends and family about my muscles. I am starting to see some definition myself but it always feels good to know others are noticing. I still wish I did not have to deal with this skin. I am so looking forward to plastic surgery. My goal is to get it done in February. A little worried about the pain but I know it will be worth it in the end.
10-11-04
Yesterday marked the 2 year anniversary of my WLS. I am still not a goal and that bums me out a bit. As much as I would like to put the blame on someone else I can’t, I am not real good about eating the things I should or drinking enough water. I am finding that my sugar tolerance has changed. I can not eat as much of it as I used too. This is a good thing! We generally do not use real sugar at my house anyway, but on occasion I will crave something sweet and really bad for me….I eat it then feel “all to hell”…this reminds me my pouch is still working for me.
I have also noticed my mental status has changed…..I no longer feel that there is no such thing as being too skinny. I see women that are real thin and think, “poor thing, she has an eating disorder,” I used to think, “I wish I had her eating disorder.” I guess my mind is healing from the damage I have caused it. Although, I wonder if I will ever be able to look in the mirror and be satisfied with what I see. That is indeed my ultimate goal!!!
11-8-04
I have not been feeling too well…. pain in the pouch area. I have had some tests done and so far so good, all of the tests have come back ok……this is good and bad. I still have the pain but no explanation. I have an appointment on the 30th to get scoped by a GI specialist. I hope he can find out what is causing me to hurt. Unfortunately this has caused me to not be able to hit the gym as much as I used to. It seems the more physical I am the more it hurts. It is killin’ me to not work out, I feel like a slob. Also, I gained some water weight…..OMG did that freak me right out……it seems to be going away now though……drinking more water and walking has helped. Not much else has been happening…..I will post when I get word from the Dr.
12-10-04
Holy crap…I am a mess! I have small ulcers in my esophagus, polyps in my stomach and a hiatal hernia. I still do not have the results back from my UGI / small bowel fallow thru yet. I will get the report on the 21st when I visit the Dr.
I am still not losing any weight. I am going to start back to the gym this week. I can’t wait to get rid of this last 20-25 pounds. I want to be @ goal so bad!
3-29-05
Wow….it has been a while since I updated. All of my stomach problems have seem to gotten better. I have some pain here and there but nothing like before. Thank God! I was so worried my pouch may have had complications.
I am now on to my next adventure. I have decided even though I have not reached goal (still 20 pounds away) I am not going to wait any longer to have plastic surgery. I have maintained my weight, give or take a few pounds for the last year. I am comfortable with the fact I may never lose anymore weight.
I have found a wonderful plastic surgeon, Mehdi K. Mazaheri, MD, PC. I had my consultation last Thursday. He is one of the most used surgeons in AZ for plastics after bypass. Also his training, certifications and awards are most impressive. I will be getting a tummy tuck and thigh lift on 6/2. The procedure will take 6 ½ hours to complete. I have to say I have seriously been looking forward to this but now that I have a date I am a little scared but I guess that is normal. I will try and be better about updating especially since I will have new and exciting things to write about.
4-7-05
Well, I lost a little…(3lbs.) I want to get down at least 10 before my PS. I guess it is better than gaining. I was so scared to get on the scale this morning! I worked out some but not as much as I should have. I want to step up the cardio again so I can lose quicker. I have been drinking more and eating less. I just can not seem to control my snacking when I'm home at night. I think this is my biggest problem. I have been snacking more responsibly tho… fruit and protein. 56 more days till the big day, 39 of those are working days.
5-26-05
I had my pre op appointment with my PS on the 21st. I took my bestest friends Kelli and Lisa with me. Kelli being a WLS patient was really excited to see some of his work and ask him a million questions. Lisa is contemplating a TT so she was also happy to meet with him. I was a little worried that he would mind conducting the visit with my crazy friends but he was more than content with their interaction during the process. Of course he won them over with in the first 10 minutes. And trust me Kelli is a hard sell. She is incredibly afraid to have any surgery after her brush with death this past year.
I will be having a T incision for my thigh lift. I have seen this type of scar and it looks really painful in the groin area. I have also read that is super painful and the recovery is kinda slow. So, I am thinking pain meds will be my friend for the first few days. I really hope I am just hyping myself up to much and it will end up not being that bad. I am keeping my fingers crossed anyways.
This website has been my saving grace the past few months. I am always checking out the plastic surgery board to get as much as I can from everyone’s experiences. These people are truly amazing… I am so thankful for them and their openness about plastic surgery.
Oh…on the count down, I have 8 more days till my surgery. I hope it gets here fast. I am so anxious; I can not even sleep at night.
6-20-05
I should have updated sooner and I had full intentions on doing so but I have been devoting all of my time and effort to healing my new body. Plus sitting at the computer with all of these stitches is no picnic…LOL Here are the highlights of my plastic surgery experience.
6/2 The Big Day!
I had a hard time getting to sleep the night before so I took 2 Tylenol PM’s to aid in my relaxation. I still awoke before my alarm went off. Showered and gave my suitcase one last look over to make sure I had everything I needed for the overnight stay at the surgi-center. I was instructed to arrive at 8:00. My surgery was to take place at 9:45. Bill (my husband) Kelli and Lisa (my best friends) were so sweet and stayed at the surgi-center the entire time I was in surgery. Are they great or what?
I can not believe how fast time went after I checked in to the center. Before I knew it the clock was showing 9:30……15 minutes till “Go Time”. I have to tell you about my anesthesiologist…..His name is Dr.Gun. He is awesome! I usually have a hard time waking up after surgery(sick to my stomach, freezing, shaking, and basically feeling run over by a Mac truck) I can honestly tell you I woke up from my surgery like I was waking up from a nice peaceful nap. It was amazing to not feel like I was even in the hospital. Kudos to you Dr. Gun!!!
Dr. Mazaheri (my favorite Dr. in the whole wide world) marked me and gave me words of encouragement. I also got to meet his first attending surgeon Dr.Ron. Okay at this time I am silently freaking out for about 2 min then I became really calm and felt nothing but confident this is going to be a positive step in my journey to the new me. The operating room staff was out of this world! The nurses all had a great sense of humor and really made the iodine bath quite the experience…LOL!
The next thing I remember is waking up and looking around a little then slipping back to sleep. I awoke in my hospital room where Bill and Lisa were patiently waiting for me to open my eyes. It was about 7:30 PM. The very first thing I did was look down at my legs….I couldn’t believe my eyes. My thighs were wrapped (in white gauze) but looked so much thinner and they did not touch at the top. I was thrilled. Dr. M came to check on me and showed me my new tummy…..I was speechless…..it looked even better than I ever imagined. He went a little further back with the scar to make everything look better…and trust me it looks GREAT!! He took a total of 9 lbs off, 5 from my tummy and 2 per each thigh.
6/3 – 6/6
The pain meds the Dr. had originally prescribed were not quite enough to make me comfortable. Dr.M came to check on me and give me a different prescription before I went home. Since I live about 2 hours away, Lisa was kind enough to let me stay with her for a few days. I was put into a recliner with lots of pillows and stayed pretty comfortable. I had a walker on hand to help me pull myself up and also a toilet seat extender to make using the restroom easier. To my surprise I did not use either one. I especially did not like to use the seat extender….it was just too uncomfortable.
I had numerous visits from family and friends. It was so sweet of them to stop by to see me. I was getting around by myself (other than getting out of the recliner) pretty good and was slowly increasing my walking each time I got up to use the restroom. Lisa was awesome! She would be a great nurse! She helped me with my drains and thigh incisions,
along with keeping me on tack with my meds.
6/7
My first follow up visit… Dr.M and his staff are the best! They always welcome me with such warmth…..kinda like I am part of their family. I love them!!
My tummy incision was covered with that tape stuff so that was all good…..my thighs were really tight, I could not pinch any skin (that is a whole new experience for me). My right knee is really swollen towards the end of the incision. This concerns me but it is so soon after surgery that I can not expect everything to be perfect right away.
6/9
I went to stay with my Mom and Dad (they also live in the Phx metro area). Kelli had called me in a panic from Urgent care that morning. She was going to be transported from urgent care to the hospital by ambulance. OMG!!! I was so scared for her….I was hoping this would not be a repeat of last years near death experience. After several test they admitted her and kept her for even more test. They were telling her she had 2 bowel obstructions.
6/10
I was feeling pretty good so I had Lisa take me to the hospital to visit my Kelli. Since I could not stand up very straight and I was walking kinda strange I opted for a wheel chair to get around the hospital. Lisa pushed me up to her room and from there I laid down on the couch that was in her room and propped up my legs and we all hung out together. After my pain meds started to wear off Lisa took me home and I crashed out. It was a big day.
6/13
My first day back to work…OMG what was I thinking? I should have requested more time off. I was so tired and sore. Thank God I have a sit down job. My left leg is causing me some trouble. My foot and ankle are very swollen. I try to keep my feet up as much as I possibly can. I go home on my lunch hour and put them up and then as soon as I am able to after work I do too. But…I am the president of my daughters swim team booster club. I had meetings with parents and a season to help plan. Needless to say I do not see much rest in my immediate future.
6/16
I over did it…I was on bed rest this entire day. My foot and ankle were so swollen I could hardly walk on it. I slept most of the day. I was dying to sleep in any other position than my back. My tail bone and lower back were hurting soo bad. The good news is I got permission to remove a drain (The one in my light side that was draining from my tummy). My hubby did this for me… it did not hurt, just burned a little on the way out.
6/18
Second follow up visit…I was hoping to get my stitches removed from my thighs and get the other 3 drains out. No on the stitches but he did remove one more drain. I guess it is better than nothing. My right knee is still looking kind of strange….I am still hoping it will go down. Dr. M says if it does not he may have to do some lipo on my knee. I am going to stay confident in the fact it is just swollen and it will get better with time. I was told to start to wear compression garments on my legs. May be this will help with the severe swelling of my foot and ankle of my left leg. This swelling reminds me of when I was pregnant…..I shudder to remember that mess. I was not a happy pregnant woman, all huge and swollen. ..NOT PRETTY!
6-27
I am moving around much better now. Still wearing my binder around my waist... I take it off when I am at home except when I sleep. Thursday and Friday of last week were really bad days…I guess I am over doing it. I ran out of pain meds so it made getting thru a little tuff. Tylenol just was not cutting it. I went to see Dr. M on Sat. he gave me a prescription for more meds. He also took out the stitches in my thighs. I was surprised that it did not hurt. I was expecting some discomfort but it was just fine. Went to lunch with the girls and then went to my parent’s house to crash out. I did absolutely nothing over the weekend….it was so nice to be able to rest. My feet are still swelling up so I will continue to wrap them along with wear my thigh and waist binders during the day.
I measured myself this weekend…..I was very disappointed to see I have not lost any inches yet (on my waist and hips). I did lose about 3 inches per thigh so far. I wonder how long it will take for this swelling to go down. My scale is reflecting a loss of only 4 pounds …..BUMMER! I know it is a process and it will take time. I am able to fit into my pre-op cloths and that is a good feeling.
Dr. M said I might be able to pull the drains myself this week, if they put out less than 30 cc in a 24 hour period for two days straight. Right now they are 30-45 cc per day…..I am almost there. I will see him again on July 5th.
7-8-05
DRAIN FREE!!!
I had the last of my drains removed 7/5 ….what an awesome feeling to no longer have to deal with those things! I am still pretty swollen in the thighs and in the tummy at the end of the day. Dr. M told me to wear my leg garments for the next 4-6 weeks….this will be a fun July in the desert heat. I am not complaining too much tho, I am willing to do what it takes to make my thighs heal properly.
Dr. M, Terri and Debbie have been so sweet….it is kinda sad I am not gonna see them for 4-6 weeks. I still have to say that this has been the best PS experience I could have hoped for. For a split second yesterday I even contemplated more PS…I will have to wait and see how my body looks in a few months.
8-8-05
I am starting my tenth week post op from my TT and TL. My tummy looks fantastic and I am so thrilled. My thighs are healing kinda slowly. The incisions are doing great it is just the healing of the inside that is taking so long. I am still having a lot of swelling on my left side. I have been wearing my embolism socks and compression garments religiously to what seems no avail. My PS says that I have developed lymphedema and it will just take time.
Since I am still swollen and seem to be retaining so much fluid I can not see a weight loss on my scale. This bums me out considerably….I am still wearing my pre-op jeans, they fit big in the waist but they fit in the thighs. It is frustrating to say the least.
We are going on a camping trip this weekend. It should be fun…Bailey’s Dad and his family will meet us there. Not much else is going on…glad the swim season is over and the school year is almost here. Bailey is driving me crazy because she is so bored. Hope all is well with everyone…I’ll update again soon.
8-30-05
Thought I better update…I promised myself I would be better about keeping track of what has been going on. Well, it will be 3 months this Friday that I had my PS. I am actually getting kinda depressed about my thighs now. I know it is going to take time for the swelling to subside because of the lymphedema but it is wearing me down BIG time. It is messing with my head….I feel so big still. I am not dropping any weight and it freaks me out!
I need to set up an appointment with Dr. M to see about getting my right knee fixed. I have also been contemplating having my back side and outer thighs fixed. I mentioned this to my daughter and she just cried her little eyes out. She does not want me to go through anymore surgeries. She says it breaks her heart to see me in so much pain. My hubby says if I want to do it I should…. Keeping in mind that he loves me just the way I am and I am already beautiful in his eyes. What is a girl to do? I guess I will have to think about it and discuss it with Dr. M.
Camping was uneventful and for the life of me I can not remember why I used to like doing it. I ended up sleeping in our SUV….even thought we had air mattresses I was so uncomfortable. Maybe the lack of my personal extra cushion made the difference. I can tell you… I would much rather spend the weekend in Mexico on the beach than up north in the woods camping. Speaking of….a Mexico trip is long over due. I am a little worried about being in the sun with my scars though….I am putting sun screen on them now even when I wear shorts but being almost naked in the sun is a different story. Hmmm, I wonder how comfortable I would be on the beach right now. I think I would still have the tendency to wanna hide my lower body. I guess I will have to wait and see.
9-20-05
Well, I went to Mexico over the weekend for my first beach adventure since PS. It went ok…I felt a little self conscious about the scars on my thighs but for the most part it was good. It was the first time I have been in a swim suite, in a public place with out wearing anything over my suite. It felt pretty good…. until I looked at pictures from that afternoon. It really freaked me out. I guess I can’t stop being over critical about myself. I wonder if I will ever get my head right?
The swelling in my left leg has gotten so much better, it is almost normal. I have gotten back into my walking routine and that has made all of the difference.
I have an appointment with Dr. M on 10/1 so he can check out my right knee. My right inside thigh muscle feels like it wants to go into a cramp a lot. I always make sure I stretch out before I walk and everything. Maybe I am still healing on the inside. I will discuss this with the Dr. too.
Other than that everything is going along as usual. I will update after my Dr. appointment.
10-27-05
Ok….I did not update right after my Dr. appointment, It did not go as well as I expected. I am still kinda in limbo. I have only lost 2 inches off each thigh and I am still the same weight as the day I went for surgery. I am so frustrated. Dr. M suggested taking a water pill to help with the water retention. It has helped some I guess.
I left the office feeling sad. We discussed maybe continuing around my torso to complete the lower body lift. The only down side is it will not help the still ever so plump thighs of mine. After much consideration I decided against that option. I want my thighs to be thinner ….this is going to take lipo I am sure. But if I get them lipoed I will be back in the sagging skin department. I am so confused! Maybe I should just throw in the towel and live with ugly thighs. I am just disappointed, I guess that I spent so much money and energy with the end result being …I still have big legs.
On the up side to my plastic surgery….My tummy looks awesome! I am thrilled with the way it has turned out. I have a small dog ear on my left side but it is no big deal.
Oh, I almost forgot…10/10 was my 3 year anniversary of my WLS. What a trip these last three years have been…
8/31/07
Wow, I have got to be the worst on this site about updating my profile. It has been almost 2 years since my first entry. Scary enough that just sounded like a confession. I was not real open with my progress because I feel like I have not made such a huge weight loss (72lbs). I have recently done some soul searching and am ready to get down to business. That means being accountable for myself. No better way than to keep up on my profile. I have always been a big girl. My all time high was 280 & I am 5'6. I have been a yo yo dieter my whole life. When I made the decision to have the surgery I had just lost about 40lbs and was starting to gain again. My pre op weight was 238. The day I left the hospital I actually weighed 242. I was freaking out. It has been an interesing year and 7 months. I am stuck at 170. I am close to goal(150) but having a real hard time with the last 20 lbs. Got to go for now but promise to get another entry in real soon.
See I am getting better, only 4 days since I updated my profile. This website has been a saving grace. I check the latest posted questions every day. I even posted one. I am researching my options for a thigh lift. Although the responses were terrific I still have not been able to view a medical lift on the internet. I am wondering how big the scar is? I think this is going to be the kind of incision I will need. I have extra skin at my knee as well as my upper thigh. I have been following my DR.'s orders and working out at least 3 x a week and walking 1 mile per day on my mid morning break. The weight training has been so good(non stop for 2 months), the only dilemma is I seem to be gaining muscle weight. My jeans are getting loose in the butt and waist but not in the thigh aera. GREAT!!! I was told the more muscle the better to help with healing after the PS-- also I was told to loose 20 lbs. NICE, what a doubble edge sward. I know I need to do more cardio so this is my goal. I have found some wonderful tips from a WLS sister called "Rules of the Pouch" and have been applying them to my daily routine. Among them was the good old standard, NO drinking 15 min. B4 eating or with the meal, also waiting 1 1/2 to 2 hours after to start drinking again. DUH!!!!! But I have never really done this. It has helped significantly. We will see what happens. Bye for now!
I just spoke to one of my bestest friends in the whole world and also my inspiration for having WLS. I am trying to get her to update her profile so you all can see how awsome she has done. Kelli if you decided to log on and are reading this I want you to know I love you and you saved my life!!!
I have been struggling with emotional eating again. I have gained 3 pounds (I guess it is muscle because my clothes are still fitting loose) I seem to lose all control with my eating at night and on the weekends. I have introduced protien bars and drinks into my diet and I am hoping this will help. The next time I update I will have good news.....I promise!
7-29-04
Wow has it been almost 3 weeks since I updated? Guess so. Well I am still working out at the gym and keeping up the cardio. I did get very dehydrated a few times in the last 3 weeks. Living in the desert sucks!!!! I am feeling better now. I am still not losing but maintaining. I am begining to wonder if this is it for me. Maybe this is the weight I am going to stay. I can't say that I am disappointed. I never dreamed I would be the size I am today. I tend to hide my weight well so even though I weigh 170 I look like I weigh less. Now all I want is to have some skin removed and I will be ALL GOOD!
I was a little scared to put my before and after pictures out there for the whole world to see but I have made the decision to get some pictures together and put them on my profile. I am still not finished with my transformation but I can always put that picture on after plastics right?
My best friend Kelli had a freakish thing happen to her and she almost died. It all started 8/15, she went to the hospital by ambulance, she was in so much pain she was going into shock. (She had WLS 3 years ago with no complications what so ever. Now out of the blue she was having incredible pain in her stomach.) They did some test, found nothing and sent her home. The next day she was back in the ER & they finally admitted her for observation. Wed. morning they did emergency surgery because her blood pressure dropped. The surgeon found her stomach had herniated and blocked off her intestine and it caused her stomach to blow out. Her abdomen was full of toxins. I stayed in ICU with her and her husband for 5 days. We almost lost her to infection. She was strong enough to get her own room after the 6th day in ICU. She came home on the 20th. I went to be with her Saturday (I live 2 hours away)……she is doing so much better.
I am so freaked out that she almost did not make it. I do not know what I would have done. It really makes you take a good look at what is important in your life. I have a new respect for each and every day.
Well I am still not loosing anymore weight. This is really starting to BLOW! I guess there is an up side though; I have been getting a lot of positive feedback from friends and family about my muscles. I am starting to see some definition myself but it always feels good to know others are noticing. I still wish I did not have to deal with this skin. I am so looking forward to plastic surgery. My goal is to get it done in February. A little worried about the pain but I know it will be worth it in the end.
Yesterday marked the 2 year anniversary of my WLS. I am still not a goal and that bums me out a bit. As much as I would like to put the blame on someone else I can’t, I am not real good about eating the things I should or drinking enough water. I am finding that my sugar tolerance has changed. I can not eat as much of it as I used too. This is a good thing! We generally do not use real sugar at my house anyway, but on occasion I will crave something sweet and really bad for me….I eat it then feel “all to hell”…this reminds me my pouch is still working for me.
I have also noticed my mental status has changed…..I no longer feel that there is no such thing as being too skinny. I see women that are real thin and think, “poor thing, she has an eating disorder,” I used to think, “I wish I had her eating disorder.” I guess my mind is healing from the damage I have caused it. Although, I wonder if I will ever be able to look in the mirror and be satisfied with what I see. That is indeed my ultimate goal!!!
I have not been feeling too well…. pain in the pouch area. I have had some tests done and so far so good, all of the tests have come back ok……this is good and bad. I still have the pain but no explanation. I have an appointment on the 30th to get scoped by a GI specialist. I hope he can find out what is causing me to hurt. Unfortunately this has caused me to not be able to hit the gym as much as I used to. It seems the more physical I am the more it hurts. It is killin’ me to not work out, I feel like a slob. Also, I gained some water weight…..OMG did that freak me right out……it seems to be going away now though……drinking more water and walking has helped. Not much else has been happening…..I will post when I get word from the Dr.
Holy crap…I am a mess! I have small ulcers in my esophagus, polyps in my stomach and a hiatal hernia. I still do not have the results back from my UGI / small bowel fallow thru yet. I will get the report on the 21st when I visit the Dr.
I am still not losing any weight. I am going to start back to the gym this week. I can’t wait to get rid of this last 20-25 pounds. I want to be @ goal so bad!
Wow….it has been a while since I updated. All of my stomach problems have seem to gotten better. I have some pain here and there but nothing like before. Thank God! I was so worried my pouch may have had complications.
I am now on to my next adventure. I have decided even though I have not reached goal (still 20 pounds away) I am not going to wait any longer to have plastic surgery. I have maintained my weight, give or take a few pounds for the last year. I am comfortable with the fact I may never lose anymore weight.
I have found a wonderful plastic surgeon, Mehdi K. Mazaheri, MD, PC. I had my consultation last Thursday. He is one of the most used surgeons in AZ for plastics after bypass. Also his training, certifications and awards are most impressive. I will be getting a tummy tuck and thigh lift on 6/2. The procedure will take 6 ½ hours to complete. I have to say I have seriously been looking forward to this but now that I have a date I am a little scared but I guess that is normal. I will try and be better about updating especially since I will have new and exciting things to write about.
Well, I lost a little…(3lbs.) I want to get down at least 10 before my PS. I guess it is better than gaining. I was so scared to get on the scale this morning! I worked out some but not as much as I should have. I want to step up the cardio again so I can lose quicker. I have been drinking more and eating less. I just can not seem to control my snacking when I'm home at night. I think this is my biggest problem. I have been snacking more responsibly tho… fruit and protein. 56 more days till the big day, 39 of those are working days.
I had my pre op appointment with my PS on the 21st. I took my bestest friends Kelli and Lisa with me. Kelli being a WLS patient was really excited to see some of his work and ask him a million questions. Lisa is contemplating a TT so she was also happy to meet with him. I was a little worried that he would mind conducting the visit with my crazy friends but he was more than content with their interaction during the process. Of course he won them over with in the first 10 minutes. And trust me Kelli is a hard sell. She is incredibly afraid to have any surgery after her brush with death this past year.
I will be having a T incision for my thigh lift. I have seen this type of scar and it looks really painful in the groin area. I have also read that is super painful and the recovery is kinda slow. So, I am thinking pain meds will be my friend for the first few days. I really hope I am just hyping myself up to much and it will end up not being that bad. I am keeping my fingers crossed anyways.
This website has been my saving grace the past few months. I am always checking out the plastic surgery board to get as much as I can from everyone’s experiences. These people are truly amazing… I am so thankful for them and their openness about plastic surgery.
Oh…on the count down, I have 8 more days till my surgery. I hope it gets here fast. I am so anxious; I can not even sleep at night.
I should have updated sooner and I had full intentions on doing so but I have been devoting all of my time and effort to healing my new body. Plus sitting at the computer with all of these stitches is no picnic…LOL Here are the highlights of my plastic surgery experience.
6/2 The Big Day!
I had a hard time getting to sleep the night before so I took 2 Tylenol PM’s to aid in my relaxation. I still awoke before my alarm went off. Showered and gave my suitcase one last look over to make sure I had everything I needed for the overnight stay at the surgi-center. I was instructed to arrive at 8:00. My surgery was to take place at 9:45. Bill (my husband) Kelli and Lisa (my best friends) were so sweet and stayed at the surgi-center the entire time I was in surgery. Are they great or what?
I can not believe how fast time went after I checked in to the center. Before I knew it the clock was showing 9:30……15 minutes till “Go Time”. I have to tell you about my anesthesiologist…..His name is Dr.Gun. He is awesome! I usually have a hard time waking up after surgery(sick to my stomach, freezing, shaking, and basically feeling run over by a Mac truck) I can honestly tell you I woke up from my surgery like I was waking up from a nice peaceful nap. It was amazing to not feel like I was even in the hospital. Kudos to you Dr. Gun!!!
Dr. Mazaheri (my favorite Dr. in the whole wide world) marked me and gave me words of encouragement. I also got to meet his first attending surgeon Dr.Ron. Okay at this time I am silently freaking out for about 2 min then I became really calm and felt nothing but confident this is going to be a positive step in my journey to the new me. The operating room staff was out of this world! The nurses all had a great sense of humor and really made the iodine bath quite the experience…LOL!
The next thing I remember is waking up and looking around a little then slipping back to sleep. I awoke in my hospital room where Bill and Lisa were patiently waiting for me to open my eyes. It was about 7:30 PM. The very first thing I did was look down at my legs….I couldn’t believe my eyes. My thighs were wrapped (in white gauze) but looked so much thinner and they did not touch at the top. I was thrilled. Dr. M came to check on me and showed me my new tummy…..I was speechless…..it looked even better than I ever imagined. He went a little further back with the scar to make everything look better…and trust me it looks GREAT!! He took a total of 9 lbs off, 5 from my tummy and 2 per each thigh.
6/3 – 6/6
The pain meds the Dr. had originally prescribed were not quite enough to make me comfortable. Dr.M came to check on me and give me a different prescription before I went home. Since I live about 2 hours away, Lisa was kind enough to let me stay with her for a few days. I was put into a recliner with lots of pillows and stayed pretty comfortable. I had a walker on hand to help me pull myself up and also a toilet seat extender to make using the restroom easier. To my surprise I did not use either one. I especially did not like to use the seat extender….it was just too uncomfortable.
I had numerous visits from family and friends. It was so sweet of them to stop by to see me. I was getting around by myself (other than getting out of the recliner) pretty good and was slowly increasing my walking each time I got up to use the restroom. Lisa was awesome! She would be a great nurse! She helped me with my drains and thigh incisions,
along with keeping me on tack with my meds.
6/7
My first follow up visit… Dr.M and his staff are the best! They always welcome me with such warmth…..kinda like I am part of their family. I love them!!
My tummy incision was covered with that tape stuff so that was all good…..my thighs were really tight, I could not pinch any skin (that is a whole new experience for me). My right knee is really swollen towards the end of the incision. This concerns me but it is so soon after surgery that I can not expect everything to be perfect right away.
6/9
I went to stay with my Mom and Dad (they also live in the Phx metro area). Kelli had called me in a panic from Urgent care that morning. She was going to be transported from urgent care to the hospital by ambulance. OMG!!! I was so scared for her….I was hoping this would not be a repeat of last years near death experience. After several test they admitted her and kept her for even more test. They were telling her she had 2 bowel obstructions.
6/10
I was feeling pretty good so I had Lisa take me to the hospital to visit my Kelli. Since I could not stand up very straight and I was walking kinda strange I opted for a wheel chair to get around the hospital. Lisa pushed me up to her room and from there I laid down on the couch that was in her room and propped up my legs and we all hung out together. After my pain meds started to wear off Lisa took me home and I crashed out. It was a big day.
6/13
My first day back to work…OMG what was I thinking? I should have requested more time off. I was so tired and sore. Thank God I have a sit down job. My left leg is causing me some trouble. My foot and ankle are very swollen. I try to keep my feet up as much as I possibly can. I go home on my lunch hour and put them up and then as soon as I am able to after work I do too. But…I am the president of my daughters swim team booster club. I had meetings with parents and a season to help plan. Needless to say I do not see much rest in my immediate future.
6/16
I over did it…I was on bed rest this entire day. My foot and ankle were so swollen I could hardly walk on it. I slept most of the day. I was dying to sleep in any other position than my back. My tail bone and lower back were hurting soo bad. The good news is I got permission to remove a drain (The one in my light side that was draining from my tummy). My hubby did this for me… it did not hurt, just burned a little on the way out.
6/18
Second follow up visit…I was hoping to get my stitches removed from my thighs and get the other 3 drains out. No on the stitches but he did remove one more drain. I guess it is better than nothing. My right knee is still looking kind of strange….I am still hoping it will go down. Dr. M says if it does not he may have to do some lipo on my knee. I am going to stay confident in the fact it is just swollen and it will get better with time. I was told to start to wear compression garments on my legs. May be this will help with the severe swelling of my foot and ankle of my left leg. This swelling reminds me of when I was pregnant…..I shudder to remember that mess. I was not a happy pregnant woman, all huge and swollen. ..NOT PRETTY!
I am moving around much better now. Still wearing my binder around my waist... I take it off when I am at home except when I sleep. Thursday and Friday of last week were really bad days…I guess I am over doing it. I ran out of pain meds so it made getting thru a little tuff. Tylenol just was not cutting it. I went to see Dr. M on Sat. he gave me a prescription for more meds. He also took out the stitches in my thighs. I was surprised that it did not hurt. I was expecting some discomfort but it was just fine. Went to lunch with the girls and then went to my parent’s house to crash out. I did absolutely nothing over the weekend….it was so nice to be able to rest. My feet are still swelling up so I will continue to wrap them along with wear my thigh and waist binders during the day.
I measured myself this weekend…..I was very disappointed to see I have not lost any inches yet (on my waist and hips). I did lose about 3 inches per thigh so far. I wonder how long it will take for this swelling to go down. My scale is reflecting a loss of only 4 pounds …..BUMMER! I know it is a process and it will take time. I am able to fit into my pre-op cloths and that is a good feeling.
Dr. M said I might be able to pull the drains myself this week, if they put out less than 30 cc in a 24 hour period for two days straight. Right now they are 30-45 cc per day…..I am almost there. I will see him again on July 5th.
DRAIN FREE!!!
I had the last of my drains removed 7/5 ….what an awesome feeling to no longer have to deal with those things! I am still pretty swollen in the thighs and in the tummy at the end of the day. Dr. M told me to wear my leg garments for the next 4-6 weeks….this will be a fun July in the desert heat. I am not complaining too much tho, I am willing to do what it takes to make my thighs heal properly.
Dr. M, Terri and Debbie have been so sweet….it is kinda sad I am not gonna see them for 4-6 weeks. I still have to say that this has been the best PS experience I could have hoped for. For a split second yesterday I even contemplated more PS…I will have to wait and see how my body looks in a few months.
I am starting my tenth week post op from my TT and TL. My tummy looks fantastic and I am so thrilled. My thighs are healing kinda slowly. The incisions are doing great it is just the healing of the inside that is taking so long. I am still having a lot of swelling on my left side. I have been wearing my embolism socks and compression garments religiously to what seems no avail. My PS says that I have developed lymphedema and it will just take time.
Since I am still swollen and seem to be retaining so much fluid I can not see a weight loss on my scale. This bums me out considerably….I am still wearing my pre-op jeans, they fit big in the waist but they fit in the thighs. It is frustrating to say the least.
We are going on a camping trip this weekend. It should be fun…Bailey’s Dad and his family will meet us there. Not much else is going on…glad the swim season is over and the school year is almost here. Bailey is driving me crazy because she is so bored. Hope all is well with everyone…I’ll update again soon.
Thought I better update…I promised myself I would be better about keeping track of what has been going on. Well, it will be 3 months this Friday that I had my PS. I am actually getting kinda depressed about my thighs now. I know it is going to take time for the swelling to subside because of the lymphedema but it is wearing me down BIG time. It is messing with my head….I feel so big still. I am not dropping any weight and it freaks me out!
I need to set up an appointment with Dr. M to see about getting my right knee fixed. I have also been contemplating having my back side and outer thighs fixed. I mentioned this to my daughter and she just cried her little eyes out. She does not want me to go through anymore surgeries. She says it breaks her heart to see me in so much pain. My hubby says if I want to do it I should…. Keeping in mind that he loves me just the way I am and I am already beautiful in his eyes. What is a girl to do? I guess I will have to think about it and discuss it with Dr. M.
Camping was uneventful and for the life of me I can not remember why I used to like doing it. I ended up sleeping in our SUV….even thought we had air mattresses I was so uncomfortable. Maybe the lack of my personal extra cushion made the difference. I can tell you… I would much rather spend the weekend in Mexico on the beach than up north in the woods camping. Speaking of….a Mexico trip is long over due. I am a little worried about being in the sun with my scars though….I am putting sun screen on them now even when I wear shorts but being almost naked in the sun is a different story. Hmmm, I wonder how comfortable I would be on the beach right now. I think I would still have the tendency to wanna hide my lower body. I guess I will have to wait and see.
Well, I went to Mexico over the weekend for my first beach adventure since PS. It went ok…I felt a little self conscious about the scars on my thighs but for the most part it was good. It was the first time I have been in a swim suite, in a public place with out wearing anything over my suite. It felt pretty good…. until I looked at pictures from that afternoon. It really freaked me out. I guess I can’t stop being over critical about myself. I wonder if I will ever get my head right?
The swelling in my left leg has gotten so much better, it is almost normal. I have gotten back into my walking routine and that has made all of the difference.
I have an appointment with Dr. M on 10/1 so he can check out my right knee. My right inside thigh muscle feels like it wants to go into a cramp a lot. I always make sure I stretch out before I walk and everything. Maybe I am still healing on the inside. I will discuss this with the Dr. too.
Other than that everything is going along as usual. I will update after my Dr. appointment.
Ok….I did not update right after my Dr. appointment, It did not go as well as I expected. I am still kinda in limbo. I have only lost 2 inches off each thigh and I am still the same weight as the day I went for surgery. I am so frustrated. Dr. M suggested taking a water pill to help with the water retention. It has helped some I guess.
I left the office feeling sad. We discussed maybe continuing around my torso to complete the lower body lift. The only down side is it will not help the still ever so plump thighs of mine. After much consideration I decided against that option. I want my thighs to be thinner ….this is going to take lipo I am sure. But if I get them lipoed I will be back in the sagging skin department. I am so confused! Maybe I should just throw in the towel and live with ugly thighs. I am just disappointed, I guess that I spent so much money and energy with the end result being …I still have big legs.
On the up side to my plastic surgery….My tummy looks awesome! I am thrilled with the way it has turned out. I have a small dog ear on my left side but it is no big deal.
Oh, I almost forgot…10/10 was my 3 year anniversary of my WLS. What a trip these last three years have been…
8/31/07
A lot has happened in my life since I updated. Within the last 10 months I have lost my husband to suicide (10/26) had several PS procedures done (6/22). I had BL w/ implants, arm lift, massive lipo on hips and thighs (7 liters worth) and my dog ear fixed. I am trying to find peace not only within myself but with the way things are in general.
My PS has kind of left me with mixed feelings. The Dr. was ok but his staff was horrible. So bad that I refuse to go back for any follow up care. Things are going just fine. If I need anything I am sure I will have to think long and hard about going back.
I was so surprised at the way I was treated…I found the PS on this site just like before. (Dr.M who was really good but I did not think he could further assist me with my legs) All of his reviews seemed to beam with adoration for him and the staff. At first I chalked it up to they were having a bad day but it persisted. I do not quite know what if anything I should do about how I feel I was treated.